November 2008 Table of Contents

Apartment owners can no longer afford to overlook the Sex and the City generation of independent, wealthy single women. In fact, it's a demographic group more powerful and influential than many multifamily industry executives realize. Here's what you need to know about reaching single women. Read more

Come 2009, the country, the economy, and the multifamily industry will never again be the same. Read more

Multifamily employees get lower-than-budgeted salary increases in 2008. Read more

As the economy sinks deeper into the abyss and REITs see stock prices fall, those who have access to capital are locking it up. Read more

City of Angels undertakes ambitous program. Read more

The Tacoma Housing Authority is redeveloping a lumber sawmill site into a 110-unit community, which will be the organization's first modular housing project. Read more

The now completed Trump Tower may be one of the last major high-rises to see completion in Chicago. Activity in the Windy City is slowing down. Read more

Ask any investor in San Antonio's apartment sector to describe the local market, and the first word you are likely to hear is “stable.” An economy anchored by the military, health care, and tourism—inherently steady drivers—helps shape this performance.  Read more

Roofing choices depend on style preference and budget. Read more

The Bubeshko Terrace Apartments designed by Rudolph (born Rudolf) M. Schindler in Silver Lake showed in 1938 that high design needn't be relegated to custom homes.  Read more

Our 2008 Merit Awards highlight some of the best multifamily projects in high-rise, mid-rise, low-rise, senior, military, affordable, apartment renovation, adaptive reuse, land reuse, marketing, community service, and technology. Read more

Welcome to uncharted territories. From Philadelphia's first residential high-rise in 20 years to a former insane asylum to a one-of-a-kind compensation program for leasing associates, the 2008 MFE Awards prove that, when it comes to the multifamily industry, no project, building, or program is beyond reach. Read more

Carl Dranoff's development mantra is transformation. “If the project is not transformative, we probably won't do it,” says the CEO of Philadelphia-based Dranoff Properties. Read more

The Washington, D.C., neighborhood where jazz greats Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington once performed is undergoing a dramatic revitalization. Read more

The Woodlands, Texas Read more

While most seniors housing is sterile and institutional, The Conservatory at Alden Bridge, a 237-unit independent living community in The Woodlands, Texas, allows seniors to live in luxury. Read more

Since launching in 1990, Capstone Cos. has emerged as a leader in student housing, with developments on 60 campuses nationwide. Unfortunately, Capstone isn't alone—student housing competitors and market-rate apartment developers alike have latched onto the lucrative coed demographic. Read more

Military community development is quite the undertaking. Start with a 10-year construction period incorporating 7,894 units, of which 5,388 involve the demolition of existing stock and construction of brand-new homes.  Read more

Broken elevators, collapsing stairwells, rusted-out appliances, and vacant units strewn with old clothing and garbage. That was the filth in which the chronically homeless in Atlanta attempted an about-face on the trajectory of their lives. Read more

Creating a successful, architecturally interesting mixed-income residential project while sticking to a strict budget can be a challenge. Columbia Senior Residences at MLK Village, however, proves it can be done. Read more

Atlanta Read more

It was once called “the scariest building in North America.” Opened in 1878, the Danvers Lunatic Asylum in suburban Boston has long been one of the area's most prominent and recognizable landmarks. Read more

Dirty, environmentally contaminated sites don't usually appeal to Long Beach, Calif.-based Mac-Farlane Costa Housing Partners, but the 0.8-acre site in San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood offered too great of an opportunity to ignore.  Read more

Before The Macallen Building opened in July 2007, Boston residents who wanted to live the green life had few options. Read more

On April 25, 1958, business owners and residents in Boston's West End neighborhood received eviction letters from the Boston Redevelopment Authority and watched as their entire community was razed to make way for apartment high-rises and office buildings. Read more

For wounded soldiers and their families, finding a place to spend time together is one of the most important parts of the healing process. That's where the Hope for the Warriors Warrior House program comes in. Read more

Multifamily leasing consultants—a job set barely breathing, right? Think again, says Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Laramar Group, which leapt this year into a leasing agent commission structure long sought but seldom achieved in the multifamily world. Read more

What ever happened to the words "I'm sorry?" In recent weeks, as the real estate industry's top tier has lined up to offer their admissions of culpability in the current economic crisis, the country has been listening and waiting for an apology. Read more

Blackberry or the iPhone? It's a tougher choice than you'd think. Read more

At Arizona State University, candi dates for the masters of real estate development program are now required to take the LEED ac creditation exam prior to graduating.  Read more

IDEO's Tom Kelley shares how to engineer innovation. Read more

Mitigate turnover costs by keeping your best employees. Read more

Relationship-building is the new must-have skill for execs. Read more

In an industry replete with Type A personalities, can humility provide access to a higher level of corporate leadership? Read more

Strong leaders can't afford to be inconsistent, particularly in today's uncertain times. Read more

Out of the boardroom, executives take to sports. Read more

What surfing taught Scot Sellers about leadership. Read more

Top exec finds new private planes more cost-effective, better for the environment. Read more

Retirement? What's that? Multifamily executives just can't leave the business. Read more

Multifamily psychologist and executive coach Ron "Dr. Ron" Beasley reveals the lack of archetypes behind industry leadership. Read more

SO THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT has left to start a solo venture, and you think you're a shoo-in for promotion. Your track record is exemplary; your institutional acumen is sharp; and your knowledge of projects under construction, under management, and in the pipeline is second to none. Then why are the brass interviewing other candidates? Read more

MBA programs are opting for core skills training, on-the-job experience, and entrepreneurial-focused curricula. Read more